Three Up And Three Down
by NegaiFreak
Summary: It's almost time for the Kalos League Quarterfinals and one match is left: Ash VS Applejack! Can Applejack overcomes the odds of Ash's formidable presence or will our hero triumph and move on? REQUESTED ONE-SHOT BY LOYAL REVIEWERS! THANKS FOR THE IDEA! PLEASE READ, REVIEW, & ENJOY!


**Hello, everybody! Enjoying the Olympics, summer heat, and other fun stuff? I sure am! Especially the Kalos League! However, everyone's been either up or down on the subject simply due to the fact that there weren't many battles shown for Ash and that it got way too rushed up to the semi-finals and finals.**

 **Of course, I'm not one to complain too much and gripe over it, but it did somewhat bother me. That is until thanks to the suggestions of my loyal reviewers, I was able to come up with an idea for some epic Kalos League battles. While you've already seen Sunset V Rainbow and will see Sunset V Alain in the future, it's time for a battle that's somewhat of one that you've been dying to see come up: Ash V Applejack.**

 **If you've seen the Kalos League stuff on the Omni Force Forum, you know what the result is, but I'd like to show how it got there with all the epicness of a** **Pokémon League! Enjoy!**

 **THREE UP AND THREE DOWN**

"Ugh…" a rather fatigued looking Applejack groaned as she entered her rustic home through the front door, dropping her backpack on the ground beside the shoes before taking off her boots, setting them there. She then trotted over to the couch, seating herself down upon it for a moment before lying down on her backside. "Huh…" she breathed, glancing up at the ceiling, "I _hate_ orange suits…" she muttered to herself.

"Hi, Applejack!" a familiar voice greeted, causing her to yelp in surprise and immediately sit up with widened eyes, only to see Apple Bloom standing beside her.

"Oh, hey Apple Bloom," she replied, moving her legs to leave some space on the plush surface, "Where are Granny and Big Mac?" she asked as her sister climbed up beside her.

"Out doin' overtime together," she answered, kicking her legs up and down out of boredom, "How was bein' in Ash's universe?" she questioned, causing her sibling to scoff as she looked up at the ceiling.

"Well, it was goin' fine till those 'Team Flare' hooligans decided to try and take over the city," she responded, much to the red haired girl's confusion as she blinked, "I mean, they make these giant plants that make everything go haywire and then bring out a legendary Pokémon to try an' make things worse," she remembered.

"Uh…" the one beside her uttered, trying to chime in.

"And before we can even do anything," she continued, interjecting her chance at stopping her as she placed her left hand upon her cheek in annoyance, "they kidnap Ash so they can find more about his Greninja and leave us to fight their dumb grunts," she explained, letting out a deep sigh, "Sure am glad it's over…" she confessed. She then looked over at the young girl beside her, who had a blank, unexcited expression on her face.

"So… long day?" she guessed bluntly, making her blush in embarrassment as she chuckled nervously.

"Well, the Kalos League was still fun…" she admitted, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, while her sister's eyes lit up.

"Oh, yeah!" she recalled excitedly, "How far did ya get?" she asked curiously, placing her hands against her cheeks.

"Top sixteen," the cowgirl answered, folding her arms behind her head, "'Course I couldn't get any farther with me bein' up against Ash," she noted, much to Apple Bloom's surprise as her eyes widened.

"Oh, whoa," she uttered in disbelief, "So what was it like?" she asked curiously, but then blinked as she realized that her question could be misinterpreted, "Aside from losin' to Ash of course…" she added, sheepishly blushing with a forced grin.

"Heh," Applejack chuckled, "You up fer a story, Apple Bloom?" she inquired with an arched eyebrow, "'Cause this one's a goodie…" she confessed, reminiscing over the day.

 **X STORY X**

"Yummy!" Bonnie exclaimed as she finished eating a chocolate chip cookie, licking the crumbs off of her lips with her tongue. She was walking around the area of the Lumiose Conference alongside her brother and the young performer, while ahead of them were Gingka Hagane, Mirajane Strauss, Erza Scarlet, and Ash Ketchum.

"I can't believe he's already at the top sixteen…" Serena admitted, placing her hand over the blue ribbon of her outfit as she smiled.

"Well, we shouldn't be surprised," Clemont chimed in, causing the two girls beside him to perk up and look at him, "Ash said that he's been in the league tournaments plenty of times in all those other regions," he noted, glancing over to see their competing companion speaking with the Fairy Tail members and the beyblader.

"He's definitely going to win," the short haired girl suddenly stated out of confidence, much to their shock as they stopped for a moment, but then smiled in agreement.

"Who would've thought we'd get matched up with Applejack after today?" the Pokémon trainer inquired, looking up at the starry night sky.

"Pika pi…" Pikachu concurred as he was perched upon his left shoulder.

"Have you ever battled her before?" the take over wizard questioned, having her hands together behind her back as she trotted beside him.

"Once," he replied as he stuck up his right index finger, "but that was during a triple tag battle we had," he mentioned, reminiscing over the time he and his friends spent in the summer camp a long while ago.

"Plus, it didn't really feel like much of a battle when she was arguing with Rainbow Dash the whole time…" Clemont pointed out, rubbing the back of his head in exasperation, while the rest of the group laughed.

"Nevertheless," the requip mage chimed in, catching their attentions as she placed her left hand onto Ash's shoulder, "we expect you to go out there and do your best as always," she told him as he sheepishly blushed out of embarrassment.

"And by the way Ash," Gingka began, making everyone look over to see him with crossed arms, "are you planning on using Greninja against her?" he asked, much to his surprise as he blinked.

"What do you mean?" he questioned back, arching an eyebrow.

"I mean that it's not healthy to stick with one Pokémon to blow everyone away," his fellow Omni Force member answered, "Not only does it give the other competitors an edge against you," he continued as the others looked on at him in wonder, "but it also means you're neglecting your other Pokémon," he finished, causing the raven haired boy to cross his arms over his chest and enter deep thought for a moment.

"Pika?" his partner asked, somewhat concerned for him.

"Yeah, I get it," he said with a smile soon afterwards, "I was planning on giving Greninja a break anyways before the full battles start up," he admitted as the ones around him smiled, "Let's win it!" he declared with a pump of his fist.

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.

"Now there's the Ash we know!" Mirajane noted, while the rest of the group laughed heartily. Meanwhile, Squishy poked his head out from Bonnie's bag, looking out at the Lumiose Tower in the far distance from the stadium. He stared at it for a moment before the group began to walk away, heading back to the rooms that were a part of the complex. Elsewhere, a panting Fluttershy was hurriedly running throughout the walkways as just few people remained for the evening, looking around for something. She then spotted her friends in Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, who were gathered around a tall table that they were standing at.

"Girls!" she cried out, catching their attentions as they saw jog over to them.

"Howdy, Fluttershy!" the cowgirl greeted once she came to a halt, breathing heavily, "How's yer boyfriend doin'?" she asked cheekily as she, the athlete, and the partier girl all suppressed the urge to giggle. She blushed in the meantime, shyly covering her face with her hands.

"A-Alain's… not my… b-b-boyfriend…" she stammered nervously, turning away.

"Huh…" the former pony sighed out of exasperation, going over to her friend, "Relax, Fluttershy," she reassured, placing her guild marked right hand onto her left shoulder, "They're all just glad that you're opening up to another person," she noted as she smiled at her.

"Especially since he's super cute!" the puffy haired girl pointed out, causing the animal whisperer to blush once again, hiding her face, "Uh… whoops…" her hyper pal uttered in realization, while the red and yellow haired girl just narrowed her eyes onto her.

"So, you've been helping Alain train?" she inquired to the flustered female, who shook her head to recompose herself.

"Uh, yeah," she replied after a moment, "He's really been breezing through the league with Charizard…" she mentioned, glancing up at the starry sky.

"Almost _everyone_ here's breezed through this thing thanks to their Mega Evolutions," Rainbow pointed out, "That _includes_ me," she added boastfully, making the blonde haired girl beside her groan out of exasperation.

"And to top it all off," Sunset kept going, turning towards Applejack, "you're gonna be facing Ash tomorrow," she said as she widened her eyes in realization.

"Oh, uh, yeah…" she stuttered somewhat nervously while rubbing the back of her head.

"Have you _seen_ his Greninja?" the athletic girl asked, changing the subject as the cowgirl grimaced slightly, "The way he looks just like Ash _and_ has that giant shuriken on his back is insane!" she exclaimed with outstretched arms.

"Tell me about it!" Pinkie agreed, "I've never seen anything like it!" she confessed excitedly, "Well… except for Fluttershy's Infernape…" she remembered, blushing in embarrassment as they laughed at her. However, they took notice of the freckled girl's slight shivers, causing them to develop looks of concern.

"Hey, are you okay Applejack?" the former pony asked, trotting over to her and placing her left hand onto her shoulder.

"Heh," she chuckled as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead, "Not gonna lie to y'all," she began to say, "I'm pretty nervous fer tomorrow…" she admitted, much to their surprise as their eyes widened.

" _You're_ nervous?" the rainbow haired girl inquired with an arched eyebrow as she crossed her arms, "Wow, that's new," she noted in shock.

"She _does_ have a good reason to be," the red and yellow haired girl pointed out, looking back at the cowgirl.

"Yeah…" she agreed, looking down at the ground, "'Side from that Greninja of his," she began, "Ash has been on this stage before," she mentioned, making the girls all glance at each other in realization, "We're basically newbies compared to him," she added with a breath of air.

"I still think you'll do great," the animal whisperer chimed in, catching their attentions as they saw her bright smile.

"Thanks, Fluttershy," the blonde haired girl replied, closing her hands into fists, "I'll sure do mah best," she declared while looking up the starry sky.

 **X**

"Charizard, Dragon Claw!" Alain commanded within the stadium the next day. The Flame Pokémon had his right hand become covered by a green, claw-shaped aura, diving down towards the opposing Heracross and striking him fiercely with it, sending him tumbling across the ground of the badlands battlefield. As the dust cleared, it revealed the Bug/Fighting type with swirls in his eyes, enticing the referee to raise up his right arm.

"Heracross is unable to battle!" he yelled, gesturing towards the Fire/Flying type and his trainer, "Charizard wins!" he stated, "Therefore, the victory goes to Alain!" he declared, making the crowd in the stands cheer wildly.

" _And it's decided!_ " the announcer's voice boomed over the loudspeakers, " _Alain and his Charizard have proven their strength once again as they join the quarterfinalists!_ " he shouted.

"Well done, Charizard," the human of the two said in gratitude, returning his partner to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light, walking off soon afterwards as the field sank back down into the abyss of the stadium.

"Wow," Sunset uttered in disbelief, sitting in one of the stadium's upper sections with Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy, having witnessed the whole.

"He beat all three of that guy's Pokémon with just Charizard again!" the former of the three with her noted, sweating a little.

"I bet he's gonna be one tough customer in the quarterfinals," the partier girl pointed out as her hands were clenching her knees tightly. The shy girl said nothing, letting off a little smile as she was glad that he won.

"Hello, everyone," a familiar voice greeted, catching their attentions as they turned to see Erza standing beside them with Mirajane, Gingka, Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie accompanying her.

"Oh, hey Erza!" the former pony responded with a bright grin, "We'll scooch over for you guys," she promised, standing up from her seat. Moments later, she and the rainbow haired girl were sitting in the upper row with the requip user, the take over wizard, and the beyblader. Meanwhile, the two pink haired girls were sitting in the row in front of them with the others, as the more hyper of the two blushed nervously, seeing the Lumiose gym leader beside her.

"So Ash's match is the last one of the day," the shaggy haired teen noted as he saw the giant screen change to reveal both the Pokémon trainer and his opponent upon it, each having three Poké Ball icons with their faces to signify how many Pokémon they would bring into battle.

" _Now it's time for the last match of the top sixteen!_ " the announcer cried out through the microphone. Coming out from the dark tunnels into the view of the spectators were the two competitors, both having serious expressions on their faces. Cheers emanated from the crowd as they were excited to see the battle, ready for it to begin. " _Our last match pits Ash against Applejack!_ " the speaker in the booth exclaimed, " _Who will move on to claim the last spot in the quarterfinals?!_ " he asked loudly, while both of the challengers took their positions on their respective pedestals.

"It's an exciting feeling to know that Ash is facing someone he's met before," the short haired girl pointed out, getting a nod of agreement from Fluttershy.

"And to top it off, it's Applejack he's up against," Rainbow mentioned, folding her arms over her chest, "It's not gonna be a walk in the park," she said confidently.

"We'll see," Mirajane replied, much to the athlete's surprise as she then saw her let out a little giggle, confusing her.

" _Now…_ " the announcer began as a stage rose up from the depths of the stadium, connecting with the two pathways, " _the field that our trainers will be using for their match will be…_ " he continued as the two competitors stared down at each other, noticing the stage they would battle upon, "… _the ice field!_ " he exclaimed. The arena was completely iced with a few stalagmites randomly strewn about, but was otherwise wide open.

"An ice field, huh?" the raven haired boy muttered to himself, grinning before turning to his partner, "Pikachu, you okay with sitting this one out?" he asked him.

"Pika," he responded with a simple nod, jumping down from his left shoulder. He then went ahead and stuck his right hand up into the air, pointing his index finger up while having his thumb curved. Both the scarlet haired female and the Satan Soul user smiled upon seeing the sign, while Applejack remembered him doing that before his match in the opening round.

"Whatcha' doin' there, partner?" she asked curiously, catching his attention as he brought his hand down.

"It's a message," he replied, looking back at his extremity while grinning, "Even if I can't see my friends, or my friends can't see me," he continued, "I know they'll always be looking out for me," he stated proudly, "and I'll be looking out for them!" he added, smiling excitedly.

"Well, that's one strong message," the cowgirl noted as the referee stepped forward.

"Trainers!" he called out, catching their attentions, "This is a three-on-three battle and when one side's Pokémon are all unable to continue, the match will be over," he explained, "Furthermore, you are both allowed to make substitutions at any time," he mentioned, "Now please select your Pokémon!" he shouted politely. Ash reached down to his belt, pulling out a Poké Ball and enlarging it by pressing its center button.

"Hawlucha, I choose you!" he exclaimed, throwing it up into the air. It popped open, and the light that spilled forth materialized on the icy stage, dissipating to reveal the Wrestling Pokémon.

"Haw lu!" he cried out before slipping on the ice, regaining his footing just seconds later as he kept a straight expression on his face. The blonde haired girl was surprised to see him however, grimacing just a little.

' _Well… ain't no point goin' crazy over somethin' like that…_ ' she inwardly noted, taking out her own Poké Ball.

"So he's not using Greninja?" Sunset inquired, folding her arms over her chest, "I wonder if AJ was planning on that…" she muttered, placing her right hand against her chin. As the freckled girl enlarged her containment by pressing its center button, she reeled her arm back, ready to throw it.

"Machamp, go!" she called out, firing it up into the air before it opened, with the light from pouring out and forming upon the ice, dissipating to reveal the Superpower Pokémon as he flexed his well-muscled arms.

"Mah!" he yelled with a grin, while his opponent just smirked upon seeing him.

"So a Machamp, huh…" the Omni Force member on the field whispered to himself, remembering encountering one when he had met his Fighting/Flying type, "Hawlucha, the ice is your ring today!" he told his teammate, who turned his head to listen, "Show them just how strong you are!" he mentioned.

"Cha!" he responded, flexing his own muscles while spreading his wings out. On the big screen above the field, images of both creatures appeared in the large hexagon of their respective sections.

"Let the battle… begin!" the referee declared, swinging his right arm down.

"Hawlucha, Karate Chop!" the raven haired boy commanded. The Wrestling Pokémon quickly had his right claw and wing glow a bright white before lunging out at his foe, sliding across the ice.

"You might've got speed…" Applejack pointed out as a grin came across her lips, "but we've got defense!" she stated, closing her right hand into a fist before throwing it out, "Machamp, Bulk Up!" she cried out.

"Champ!" he replied, suddenly having a crimson aura appear over his body as his muscles started to thicken. He was then struck at the torso by his enemy, making him grimace a little. However, he managed to blow him back by flexing his chest out, sending him sliding across the ice until he stopped himself, standing firm.

" _And Machamp takes the force of that Karate Chop by using Bulk Up!_ " the announcer yelled through the loudspeaker, while the crowd continued to cheer excitedly.

"Smart move," Clemont commented as he crossed his arms over his chest back in the stands, "Bulk Up raises a Pokémon's physical attack and Defense…" he explained, narrowing his eyes onto the field.

"Now Thunder Punch!" the cowgirl ordered. Encasing his lower fists in orbs of electrical energy, the Superpower Pokémon rushed forward, aiming them at his foe.

"Dodge it!" Ash shouted. The Fighting/Flying type moved back and side to side in order to avoid each punch, but was struck right on the head by one, careening right into a stalagmite in an explosion of mist.

"Lu cha…" he grunted as it cleared, revealing him a somewhat injured state as he lied against the slippery surface.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu cheered as his trainer kept a stoic expression on his face.

"Trap 'im like a rat!" the blonde haired girl called out with a pump of her fist, "Rock Slide!" she demanded.

"MAAAHHHKKK!" the Fighting type yelled, having a blue aura emanate off of his body as orange sparks of electricity shot off from underneath him. All of a sudden, a white appeared above his form, forming into glowing white ovals, which then became stones with a shroud of blue.

"Knock 'em away with Karate Chop!" the raven haired boy yelled to his teammate immediately. He quickly made both of his claws and wings glow a bright white, using them to knock away the several rocks coming down onto him as smoke filled the area around him.

' _No way he's gettin' outta that easily,_ ' Applejack pointed out through thought.

"Bulk Up, again!" she cried out.

"Mah!" Machamp screamed as a reply, becoming enveloped by a crimson aura as his muscles thickened once more.

"Now Cross Chop!" she commanded. Crossing his upper arms into an X shape, the humanoid-like creature had them glow a bright white before lunging into the cloud of smoke, swinging them out at what he thought was his opponent. However, as the dust cleared, it revealed that he had merely shattered the stalagmite, much to his and his trainer's surprise.

"High Jump Kick!" Ash ordered, getting their attentions as they gasped to see Hawlucha looming overhead, coming down onto his opponent and striking him on the head with his glowing right leg. He grimaced as he slid back, gritting his teeth in agony while shaking his head.

"Cha, lucha!" the Wrestling Pokémon stated, catching his enemy's attention as he saw him hopping up and down, still ready for battle.

" _Hawlucha lands a fierce blow on Machamp with High Jump Kick!_ " the announcer exclaimed through the microphone, " _It looks like this brawl of Fighting types isn't over yet!_ " he noted as the crowd went into a frenzy of cheers.

"Got that right!" Applejack agreed as she clenched her teeth together, "Thunder Punch!" she shouted. Shrouding his right fist in an orb of electrical energy, the Superpower Pokémon lunged forward towards his foe.

"Counter with X-Scissor!" the raven haired boy called out. The Fighting/Flying type had both tips of his claws glow a light blue before jumping as well, crossing them to form a magenta-colored X before him, slamming into his opponent fiercely as sparks flew. They blew each other back, with the humanoid-looking creature sliding back more as he grunted angrily. Upon noticing that, the Omni Force member let off a grin, closing his right hand into a fist. "Hawlucha, close in and use Karate Chop!" he commanded, swinging his right arm out. Having both of his claws and wings glow white once again, his teammate rushed in struck his enemy over and over, making him clench his teeth in agony. Each time he attempted to block, he could feel his feet slip upon the ice.

"So fast…" Sunset pointed out with trembling eyes from the stands.

"Even with Bulk Up, Machamp's still not matching up here," Rainbow noted as she scoffed, "What's that all about?" she questioned.

"He's not up against anyone ordinary," Serena chimed in, getting their attentions, "That's for sure," she added with confidence in her tone.

"Now High Jump Kick!" the Pokémon trainer ordered, enticing his teammate to have his legs glow a bright white, lunging out and striking his foe with the right one, sending his foe careening towards a stalagmite, which he crashed into in a flurry of mist.

"Machamp!" the cowgirl cried out worriedly, seeing the veil clear to reveal her team member leaning against the structure as he had scrapes all over his body.

"Mah…" he groaned in agony while breathing heavily.

"Finish it up with Flying Press!" Ash yelled.

"Cha!" Hawlucha responded, leaping upwards. He then spread his wings out as he glided above his opponent, having a white energy outline his form before spinning around and diving towards him.

"Bulk Up!" Applejack cried out somewhat desperately. The Superpower Pokémon had a crimson aura shroud his form, expanding his muscles as he crossed his arms over his face. His enemy collided with him head on, creating an explosion of smoke that covered them completely. The Fighting/Flying type leapt out from it first, awaiting the result as the veil finally began to clear. It revealed the Fighting type lying against the stalagmite with swirls in his eyes, groaning all the while.

"Machamp is unable to battle!" the referee declared after taking a quick observation of the scene, raising his left arm into the air, "Hawlucha wins!" he stated, gesturing towards him.

"Lu… CHA!" he exclaimed in delight, spreading his arms out excitedly. His opponent's picture on the big screen was greyed out, while cheers emanated from the crowd.

" _And Hawlucha delivers Ash the first win of the match!_ " the announcer cried out through the microphone.

"Aw…" Pinkie moaned in disappointment, slouching down in her seat.

"All right, Ash!" Bonnie cheered with a pump of her right fist.

"Dennay!" Dedenne squeaked, poking his head out from her purse.

"A good start for Ash," Erza noted, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, but look at him," Gingka chimed in, enticing the group to look over at the raven haired boy on the battlefield, seeing his stoic and serious expression while smiling, "He's not taking Applejack lightly," he realized as he narrowed his eyes.

"That's Ash for you," Mirajane pointed out with a light smile, "Even as he's winning, he knows things could change in an instant," she explained, clenching the bottom part of her dress tightly. Meanwhile on the stage, the cowgirl returned her Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.

"Thanks fer the help, Machamp," she said in gratitude before putting it away, pulling out another one, "I won't let ya down!" she stated, throwing the containment into the air, "Mow 'em down, Gogoat!" she called out, causing the ball to open and let the light from it spill forth onto the ice, forming and dissipating to reveal the Mount Pokémon.

"Guuohhh!" he bleated, getting into a ready stance.

"Hawlucha, you did great," the Omni Force member noted, aiming his Poké Ball towards him, "Take a rest for now," he advised, returning him to it in a beam of red light.

" _Ash has decided to switch Pokémon in order to fight Applejack's Gogoat!_ " the announcer pointed out over the loudspeaker as the trainer took out a new Poké Ball, enlarging it, " _Which Pokémon will he bring out next?!_ " he asked loudly, while he began to throw the container up into the air.

"Noivern, I choose you!" he shouted, letting it open and have the light from it come into form in midair, dissipating to reveal the Sound Wave Pokémon.

"Nuuooiii!" he exclaimed, flapping his large wings before landing down on the ice.

' _Now it's Noivern?!_ ' the cowgirl inwardly exclaimed, sweating a little, ' _Is he even gonna bring out Greninja at all?_ ' she asked herself, while her right hand trembled.

"So Ash has a Noivern now…" Rainbow noted from the stands as she folded her arms over her chest.

"A Dragon/Flying type's not a good matchup for Gogoat…" Sunset mentioned while placing her hand onto her chin again, "Ash is really thinking this through," she admitted as a serious expression came across her face.

"Start off with Dragon Claw!" the raven haired boy on the battlefield exclaimed. His team member then floated up and had a light green aura cover his hands, which then formed claws as he dove down at the Grass type.

"Gogoat, Leaf Blade!" the freckled girl commanded, enticing the Mount Pokémon to have his horns glow a bright green and sharpen. He then leapt, colliding them with his foe's aura covered hands, causing sparks to fly all over the place as neither of them backed down. They blew each other back soon after, with the goat-like creature of the two shattering the ice upon landing. "Now use Rock Slide!" his owner ordered, throwing out her arms. His body suddenly glowed a bright blue as sparks of orange electricity flew off from beneath him. A white circle then appeared overhead, forming into several ovals before becoming stones with bright blue outlines.

"Quick, dodge it!" the Omni Force member yelled to the wyvern-like creature, who immediately started flying away as the rocks began falling towards him. However, a few clipped him, sending him hurdling down to the ground with a flurry of mist to follow. Every one of the group members in the stands gasped upon seeing him fall, while Applejack just grinned.

"Now use Double-Edge!" she demanded quickly. Covering himself in a gold aura, the Grass type charged forward as his hooves clopped against the ice.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu screamed towards the veil, hoping that his friend would get back. His trainer then widened his eyes in realization, developing a serious expression on his face.

"Noivern, Supersonic!" he called out quickly. Opening his eyes and standing back up, the Sound Wave Pokémon emitted vibrations from his ears through the mist, which came into contact with his enemy as he bleated loudly.

"Gogoat!" his master exclaimed, seeing his gold aura disappear as he stumbled around wildly, "What's wrong?!" she asked while noticing him slip around on the ice.

" _Incredible!_ " the announcer's voice boomed over the loudspeakers, " _Noivern lands a direct hit with Supersonic and confuses Gogoat completely!_ " he noted as the Dragon/Flying type flew out from the cloud.

"Now Boomburst!" Ash commanded with a pump of his right fist. A white ball of energy formed upon his teammate's ears, which glowed as well. He then aimed them towards the bemused Mount Pokémon, blasting powerful sound waves down at him. They struck fiercely, causing an explosion of smoke to build up as Applejack had to shield her eyes from the impact, holding onto her hat in the meantime. Once it cleared, it revealed her team member a bit dazed and scraped up, but had otherwise returned to normal as he shook his head.

"All right, Double-Edge!" she called out. A gold aura surrounded the Grass type as he charged forward again, leaping up at his opponent.

"Dragon Claw!" the raven haired boy yelled to the wyvern-like creature, who had a green, claw-like aura envelop his hands again as he dove down and slammed into his enemy, creating another explosion of smoke that blew both of them back. The goat-like creature cringed in agony for a moment as sparks of white electricity emanated from his body, making his master narrow her eyes. "Now use Acrobatics!" her opponent ordered. The Sound Wave Pokémon had his whole body glow a bright blue as he began to quickly zip down, heading for his foe.

"Gogoat, Double Team!" the blonde haired girl shouted. In a flash of light from his body, several clones from her partner appeared all around the field, as his enemy dove into one, only for it to burst into nothing but smoke.

"Uh oh…" the Pokémon trainer uttered in realization, widening his eyes.

"Heh," the cowgirl chuckled, swinging out her right arm, "Rock Slide!" she demanded.

"GGUUOHHHH!" the Mount Pokémon bleated loudly, glowing a bright blue as orange electricity sparked under his body, causing the Omni Force member to grimace.

"Noivern, look out!" he cried out immediately to his teammate. Unfortunately, it was too late as several stones appeared above him and rained down, striking him fiercely to the ground.

"Noivern!" Mirajane screamed from the stands as the others gasped, seeing him get buried underneath the rocks.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu squeaked in plea, hoping his friend could get out of there.

"You can do it, Noivern…" his master concurred, having his fists tremble, "Boomburst!" he commanded loudly. All of a sudden, white lights began emanating form from the pile of rocks before it burst in a resounding explosion, revealing the Sound Wave Pokémon still standing.

"VVERRRRNNN!" he screeched loudly, much to the shock of his opponent and his trainer.

"Well ah'll be…" the latter of the two muttered, sweating nervously.

"Find the real one and use Acrobatics!" Ash told his teammate, who flew up from the ice despite the scrapes his body. He then emitted sound waves from his ears, detecting the real Gogoat at the end of the field, glowing a bright blue before zipping past the duplicates as he headed straight for him, much to the surprise of the freckled girl.

"Leaf Blade, quick!" she cried out. The Mount Pokémon had his horns glow a bright green, but he too late to sharpen them as he was then struck by his foe in a cloud of smoke, which he emerged from seconds later, flying back over to his side of the field. The veil then cleared to reveal the Grass type lying on his right side with swirls in his eyes, moaning out of agony.

"Gogoat is unable to battle!" the referee declared after assessing the scene for a moment, "Noivern wins!" he stated, gesturing towards the wyvern-like creature.

" _Noivern clinches another win for Ash with an impressive Acrobatics!_ " the announcer noted over the loudspeaker as the crowd got whipped into a frenzy again.

"All right, Ash!" Serena cheered, clapping her hands together.

"Now he's one win away from moving on…" Clemont mentioned, anxiously clenching his fists over his knees. Meanwhile, the Canterlot High students were worried for their classmate, seeing her return the goat-like creature to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.

"Thanks fer hangin' in there, Gogoat…" she said to him out of gratitude, putting the ball back onto her belt while looking to see his image greyed out on the board.

"Nice job, Noivern!" the raven haired boy complimented to his team member, petting him gently on the head as he cooed a little, "You should get some rest after that battle," he advised, taking out his Poké Ball and aiming it towards him. He merely nodded, letting the red light envelop him before going back into the containment.

" _Ash has decided to return Noivern instead of letting him face Applejack's last Pokémon!_ " the announcer pointed out through the microphone as his picture on the big screen went into one of the two smaller hexagons, being right next to Hawlucha's, " _Now which Pokémon will our two trainers send out next?!_ " he asked loudly as the cowgirl took a deep breath of air, taking out her third and final spherical container, having enlarged it.

"Layin' it all on the line with you…" she noted to herself, reeling her right arm back, "Furfrou, go get 'em!" she called out, throwing the ball up into the air. It popped open, and the light that came out from spilled onto the ground, forming before dissipating to reveal the Poodle Pokémon with her scruffy white hair.

"Froo!" she barked, having a serious expression on her face.

"A Furfrou…" Erza uttered from the stands while narrowing her eyes.

"And an untrimmed one at that," Gingka mentioned as he folded his arms over his chest. Meanwhile, his Omni Force teammate took out a Poké Ball himself, smiling as he enlarged it.

"You're the last one," he told the creature that resided within it, swinging his arm back, "Talonflame, I choose you!" he cried out, throwing the containment up into the air, making it pop open as the light from it materialized and dissipated to reveal the Scorching Pokémon soaring overhead.

"Tal!" he squawked as he eyed his opponent closely, while she merely growled.

" _And Ash sends out his third Pokémon as Talonflame to go up against Applejack's Furfrou!_ " the announcer mentioned through the microphone, while images of both creatures appeared in the large hexagons on the big screen, " _Will Applejack be able to pull off an unlikely comeback?!_ " he asked loudly as the crowd watched in anticipation.

"We'll take the first move!" the raven haired boy declared confidently, "Talonflame, Steel Wing!" he commanded. The Fire/Flying type had his wings glow a bright white before diving down towards his foe, who grinned slightly as she readied herself. He struck her ferociously, leaving her in a cloud of smoke while flying off. However, as the veil cleared, his pupils shrank to see the Normal type shake her head, appearing to be unaffected by the attack, much to the surprise of both him and his master.

"Now Charge Beam!" the cowgirl ordered. Her teammate then had an orb of yellow electricity form in front of her mouth, releasing a laser of the energy at her enemy.

"Dodge it!" the Pokémon trainer yelled.

"Tallahh!" his team member responded, quickly soaring away from the beam that chased him. He managed to avoid it several times before it finally struck him at his tail feathers, causing him to fall towards the ground in a spiral.

"Keep your speed up!" his master called out, "Flame Charge!" he demanded with a pump of his right fist. Shrouding himself in red flames, the bird-like creature dove down at his foe, who grinned again as she took the attack head on in another explosion. Once the smoke cleared again, it revealed her shaking her head once again, appearing to be uninjured.

"Furrrr…" she scoffed while getting back into a ready stance.

"Furfrou must have some great defense if she can handle attacks from Talonflame," Serena noted with narrowed eyes.

"That probably has to do with her ability," Clemont chimed in, catching their attentions.

"Ability?" his sister uttered in confusion, arching an eyebrow.

"Fur Coat," he answered, folding his arms over his chest, "It's an ability that halves the damage taken by physical attacks," he explained, "much like Reflect," he added.

"Hey, has anyone noticed anything weird about Applejack choices for this match?" Gingka asked as the whole group turned to him.

"What do you mean?" Rainbow asked, arching an eyebrow out of befuddlement.

"I mean Machamp, Gogoat, and Furfrou," the beyblader replied as he looked closely at the battlefield, seeing the Scorching Pokémon dodge more electrical beams of energy from his foe until he got struck by one in the chest, falling down to the ground, "They all seem like good choices to fight Ash at first," he admitted as the dust settled to reveal the bird-like creature standing up on his feet, shaking his head out of agony, "but when it comes to Ash, _who_ exactly do they have the advantage against?" he questioned rhetorically, causing the rest of them to gasp in realization.

' _Does that mean Applejack was only taking Ash's Greninja into account for her strategy?_ ' Sunset asked herself, sweating a little.

"You okay, Talonflame?" the raven haired boy asked his teammate.

"Fllaamme!" he squawked in response, spreading his wings before flapping them to float upwards.

"Flame Charge!" his owner ordered, enticing him to outline himself in red flames once again, diving down towards his opponent.

"Meet 'im head on with Bite!" the cowgirl cried out. The Poodle Pokémon leapt up and had her teeth glow a bright white, about to chomp down on her enemy as an explosion of smoke then occurred. The two creatures came out of it moments later, with the dog-like one of the two latching onto her foe's right talon with her teeth, much to his surprise.

"Quick, shake her off!" the Omni Force member on the field yelled. The Fire/Flying tried to fly fast in order to have his opponent release him, but she held on tightly, having her hind legs touch the icy surface below them.

"Throw 'im down!" the blonde haired girl called out, enticing the Normal type to slam the bird-like creature onto the ice, sending him sliding away as he chirped in agony.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu squeaked worriedly for his friend, who was trying to push himself up from the ground despite the pain filling his body.

"Finish it up with Giga Impact!" Applejack commanded with a confident grin. Furfrou then had a flash of yellow light appear in front of her face before charging forward, shrouding herself in a purple orb of energy with yellow streaks of spiraling light. Ash clenched his teeth and fists in nervousness, knowing that this was a dire situation now.

"Intercept with Brave Bird!" he yelled instantly. Talonflame's eyes then jerked open as he floated back up, somersaulting to gain speed before shrouding himself in a light blue, flaming aura. The two collided, creating a massive explosion that shrouded them from the crowd's view as they watched on. Moments later, it cleared to reveal the both of them standing upon the ice, with the bird-like one of two having blue electricity spark all over his body as he grimaced.

"Furr!" the Poodle Pokémon barked, believing that she had a clear advantage despite being unable to finish him off. All of a sudden, her body became engulfed in flames, crying out in agony as her trainer gasped.

"Furfrou!" she cried out worriedly just as the fire vanished, leaving her cringing in pain.

"Wh-What happened?" Bonnie stuttered as she blinked rapidly from the stands.

"That was Talonflame's ability…" Clemont noted, placing his hand onto his chin.

"You mean Flame Body?" Serena guessed, while the others began turning their focus onto him.

"Yeah," he replied, "When a Pokémon hits Talonflame with a physical attack," he began as the Scorching Pokémon flew up from the ground, "he or she will end up receiving a burn as result," he explained.

"And a burn status halves the strength of physical attacks…" Sunset pointed out, folding her arms over her chest.

"AJ's in trouble now…" Pinkie added worriedly, clenching her fists tightly over her dress.

"You okay to keep going, Talonflame?" the raven haired boy on the battlefield asked his teammate.

"Tal, flay!" he replied with a nod, flapping his wings rapidly.

"Then use Razor Wind!" his owner commanded. His wings glowed a bright white as he swung them back, throwing them out and unleashing a barrage of crescent-shaped waves of energy towards his foe, who took them head on and tumbled back across the icy floor.

"Gr…" Applejack growled in frustration, "Get 'im with Charge Beam!" she ordered. Forming another ball of electricity in front of her mouth, the Normal type launched a laser of energy at her foe.

"Dodge and use Flame Charge!" Ash called out, enticing the Scorching Pokémon to envelop himself in an outline of flames, diving down towards his enemy while avoiding her attack. The beam was about to hit him until suddenly, the flames reappeared around Furfrou, making her cry in pain as her attack vanished into thin air. She had no time to recover as she then received a powerful hit on the head from her opponent, causing her to tumble back over to her trainer in a heap, lying on her stomach.

"Furfrou!" she exclaimed, seeing her swirled eyes and hearing her groans of agony.

"Furfrou is unable to battle!" the referee said loudly after observing her as well, "Talonflame wins!" he stated, gesturing towards the Fire/Flying type as he perched himself onto his trainer's right shoulder, "Therefore, the match goes to Ash!" he declared as the Poodle Pokémon's picture was greyed out on the big screen.

" _That decides it!_ " the announcer proclaimed through the microphone, while the screen showed the Omni Force member's picture above the 'WINNER' sign with fireworks going off in the background, while the fans in the stands cheered wildly, " _Ash pulls off an impressive three to nothing victory and moves on to the quarterfinals!_ " he yelled.

"Nice going, Ash," Gingka complimented as he clapped alongside his friends.

"Applejack tried her best down there…" Rainbow noted with a mere shrug.

"But when it comes to Ash now," Sunset continued, "it's like he can't be stopped," she pointed out, seeing him trot over to the cowgirl as she returned her Pokémon to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.

"Thanks a bunch, Furfrou," she said to her with a small smile, "Y'all did yer best," she added, putting the containment away, walking up to her former opponent.

"Great battle, Applejack," he said to her politely, much to her surprise as she blinked, "You kinda caught me and my Pokémon off guard at some points," he admitted while rubbing his nose with his right index finger.

"Heh!" she chuckled, "Y'all were the one who caught me off guard," she pointed out, making him develop a perplexed expression, "I was thinkin' you were gonna try and sweep me by with that Greninja of yours," she confessed as he just laughed.

"Well, I gotta make sure everyone else gets the chance to battle," he pointed out.

"Tal!" the Scorching Pokémon squawked in agreement.

"Pika!" Pikachu concurred, jumping onto his trainer's left shoulder.

" _And now we've arrived at the quarterfinals!_ " the announcer's voice boomed over the microphone as pictures of remaining eight trainers began jumbling all over the big screen, " _Tomorrow's matchups will be…_ " he uttered as pairs of cards split up into four sections, revealing the matches that would take place the next day as the 'VS' symbol appeared between. The matches were Alain against Remo, Ash against Astrid, Sawyer against Tierno, and Rainbow against Sunset.

"I'm fighting Sunset next?!" the athlete exclaimed, sharing an awkward stare with her classmate as Mirajane giggled out of amusement.

"That's the girl with the Mega Absol…" the raven haired boy muttered back on the battlefield, reminiscing over facing her.

"Hey, Ash?" Applejack chimed in, catching his attention as he turned to face her, "That message of yers includes me now," she stated as he widened his eyes in surprise, but then nodded in agreement, "I'll be looking out fer you to do yer best!" she declared, holding her right hand out to him.

"Count on it," he replied, taking her extremity with his own, "Let's battle again sometime!" he added, smiling cheekily as the crowd broke out into applause once more.

 **X END STORY X**

"Wow…" Apple Bloom uttered after hearing the tale, "I knew Ash was strong," she started to say, "but I didn't know he was _that_ strong…" she confessed, causing her sister to chuckle.

"Well, he's danced on that stage before," she pointed out, glancing up at the ceiling, "Makes sense that he won the whole shebang, too," she mentioned as the red haired girl beamed excitedly.

"Sounds like it was a real blast!" she exclaimed, "But… I think I should letcha' rest instead of tellin' me 'bout it now," she admitted, getting up from her seat and heading out of the living room.

"Thanks, Apple Bloom," the cowgirl replied, lying down on the couch on her backside.

"Oh!" the young girl yelped, stopping at the doorway and catching her sibling's attentions, "I was wonderin'…" she began to say while seeing her move her head to face her, "are we gonna see that Kyoya feller again?" she asked, much to her surprise as her eyes widened.

"I dunno…" she replied, looking down at the floor, "Why ya askin'?" she questioned while arching an eyebrow.

"Well… he's actually a nice guy when ya get to know him," her younger sister replied as started moving back into the next room, "And I bet you like him, too," she mentioned, making her chuckle.

"Sure do, Bloom," she agreed, going back to lying down as the young girl left, "More than ya know…" she muttered to herself, letting a small blush come across her cheeks.

 **END**

 **Wowee! Another reason why Ash is the trainer of destiny and has always been such an awesome character. That's not to say Applejack's bad by any means. It's just that like she said, Ash has been dancing on this stage before (Even though he can't actually dance unless it's with Mirajane…).**

 **Be sure to look out for more from me in the future! I'll see you guys later!**

 **QUOTE**

 _ **Goin' from a farm girl to a girl in the spotlight… Kinda overwhelmin', don'tcha' think?**_

 **Applejack**

 **To her friends upon arriving to the Kalos League**


End file.
